Sword Art Online: Darkness,Lightning,Death
by Thephantomprince
Summary: When I was Kazuto all I wanted was to be someone else. So I became played the part of Kirito, a hero. But then Kirito became obstinate, so I became someone to fight the god of our world, along with the evil of humanity. Along the way, I grew, I learned. Slowly, the person who was Kazuto melted away. Now there is only Death. Pairings Undecided.


This is the story of a man. No, I suppose that that was not the way to start off. If the story started there you would not understand. No story should start off half-way.

This was the story of a boy, one who was scared, and his journey to become a man. The story of Kirito the Swordsman. Of Kazuto Kirigaya. Of Death Sword the Conqueror.

But not just of him. Of Daemon, the Ultimate Enemy. Of Asuna, the Lightning Strike. Of Klein, The Red Death. Of Lisbeth, Forger of Excalibur.

My story, our story, our journey, began on a floating castle, Aincrad,in another world. Another reality. A virtual reality.

* * *

It had been a month since 10,000 people got trapped in the death game that was Sword Art Online. A VRMMORPG, a simulated reality that we were all trapped in. We all had come to this world willingly, but now there was only two methods of escape. Conquer all of the 100 monster filled floors of Aincrad and free everyone. Or death, which would destroy our brains in the real world.

So far, 2,000 people had died and no one had cleared the first floor of the floating castle Aincrad.

I was a solo player, a selfish breed of player that only cared for themselves. I tried my best to focus on only my survival, but I knew that every day someone died. Not a pleasant thing to think about.

I had been a Beta Tester for Sword Art Online, so I naturally had a large advantage over the majority of the other players. I could have helped. But I didn't. I had chosen not to. Chosen to shun that responsibility.

In this game, being the strongest was the only thing that would help us beat the game, and thus free everyone in it.

But if I was being true to myself, I felt that it was an excuse. I knew other Beta Testers who had stayed, and trained other newbies. But I had chosen to leave. Chosen to shirk that responsibility. And because of that, people had died.

I chose to ignore that line of reasoning. I pushed down the defiant part of my brain that screamed for me to stay and help others, at the possible cost of my own survival. That was not a possibility I was willing to take.

But now, finally, there was finally a meeting for finding and subsequently defeating the Floor 1 Boss. Even I was unable to find the boss room so far, though I had searched with the beta in mind.

I had shown up and the meeting had initially proceeded smoothly until a spiky hair player, Kibou, had shown up. He had angrily demanded that all of the beta players, who had largely abandoned the newer players, apologize to the dead players and hand over all of their earnings.

The points he made spoke directly to my fears.

_Betas care only for themselves!_

_They left the rest of us to die!_

I forced my guilt to the back of my mind and locked it away to fester in the depths of my subconscious.

I almost stood up to confront Kibou myself, though not sure how I would have defended the beta players, but luckily a giant dark skinned man stood, Agil, and chewed him out- citing the Players Guidebook that had been made by the Betas to help the other players.

Kibou had slunk back to the stone seats, a snarl marring his face. I felt darkly amused at his humiliation.

After that, the 1st Floor Boss Meeting was going well… until…

" We will form into parties of six to confront the boss."

Diabel, the blue haired self proclaimed 'knight', and director of the meeting announced, loud enough for everyone in the meeting to hear.

You must understand that I am a horribly antisocial person at the best of times. Rude, blunt, and not terribly friendly, I was happier in my dark corners, observing and thinking. I was not people.

So something plain and simple for the others players- mostly already within their own groups- sent a wave of panic through me.

I looked left and right and saw the other stragglers already forming their new parties, or joining one. Even I knew trying to take on the boss without a party member to help at this stage was suicidal. Maybe later in the game…but not now.

_-Shitshitshitshitshit. _

All except one. Incidentally sitting only a few feet away was a figure covered by a maroon cloak with no one around. Seeing my opportunity, I quickly scooted over and awkwardly sat for a moment, about to ask to form a party-

" Heya! So are we joining a party with this guy, Hime?"

Suddenly there was another person crouched down in between us- appearing in a blink of an eye. Like the girl, he was completely covered in a cloak, completely black.

I would like to say I did not freak out, but that would not be true. I yelped and shot up, my hand going to the hilt of my Anneal Blade on my back to attack. The girl- 'Hime'- stayed still a stone.

The new guy made a placating gesture and though I couldn't see his face due to a black mask covering the lower half of his face, dark eyes peering out from under a head of spiked white hair conveyed amusement at my reaction. For a moment, I felt my face flush with embarrassment was going to back away. Guess I'm boss fighting with no party then…

Then my awkwardness was broken when the girl (for it was now obvious she was a girl from closer up) smacked the guy on the head as if scolding a dog and frowned at him.

" You realize the reason no one else will party with us is because you keep doing that, right?"

The girl scolded. The guy straightened indignantly and narrowed his eyes.

" Hey, if they can't handle a little surprise without freaking out then they wouldn't be of any use out in the field!"

The white haired guy made broad hand gestures with his argument. I flushed even more then before as I opened my mouth to defend my worth despite my initial surprise at his appearance, when he turned to me.

" Don't worry though, man, you're okay, since you actually went for your weapon and all instead of freezing up."

" Eh…thanks. I guess…."

I sat back down again and was about to attempt to ask for a party formation, but a message window appeared in front of my face.

Will you accept Daemon's party request?

I hated that I was apparently so transparent to this guy. I hit yes.

Its only one fight, I guess. Not like I was going to get attached to them anyway.

How wrong I was.

Two more health gauges filled my immediate line of vision. I focused on the one new name. Asuna must be the name of the cloaked girl.

How odd the two of them were, hiding their faces like that. I often felt dissatisfied with my appearance but I didn't care what others thought. Maybe the two of them were scared of how others would judge them…

The three of us stood up simultaneously, though I my intent was not to go with them, but rather meet up later, but I was stunned for a moment when I noticed the considerable height difference between Daemon and myself. Standing almost as tall as the Beta defender Agil, I immediately felt my height and glanced at the sword on the other players back.

The Iron Sword was a regular sized sword on a normal sized person, but on Daemon it looked oddly small, almost like a long knife rather than a sword.

" Wanna go hunting for a while, Kirito? We wanted to go do some last minute leveling before the boss fight."

Daemon offered cheerfully. I noticed how he stood protectively in front of Asuna and wondered if they were siblings or the like.

" That way we can all coordinate our fighting skills for the boss fight tomorrow, too."

He continued.

"Sure."

I didn't ask how he knew my name either, as I knew he could see my name in the corner of his vision, same as me. We all turned and left the seating area and I had the oddest feeling for a moment, knowing that now I was in a party for the first time since I entered the _real_ SAO.

" So, we should probably go to at least the nineteenth level of the Labry-"

" Hey, you! Kirito!"

Someone else shouted out from behind our newly formed trio, interrupting Daemons' plans.

It was the 'knight', Diabel. I was on guard almost immediately. As a player, I was not very well known, as was the case for most beta testers. Thus my suspicion.

"I heard that you acquired the Anneal Blade. I will offer you 5 thousand Col for that sword."

Diabel offered. He was not as cheerful as he was earlier, instead he wore a clearly fake business smile.

I was taken aback; in the later levels of the game it was not a lot of Col, but in the early stages it was quite a bit. Only someone like me, who fought constantly, could gather that amount of money and still afford things like food and board. But the Anneal Blade was the best acquirable sword for the next two to four floors.

Survival was my aim. Having the best weapon I could possibly have played a large part of that.

"No. This sword is mine, and I will not sell it."

Quick and blunt, as per my usual. I turned away and motioned to Daemon and Asuna to follow. But Diabel's hand clamped down on my shoulder. I saw in my peripheral vision the smile was gone.

"Well then if that is how you feel…the offer stands up until tomorrow. Think on it."

He walked away. I kept my face neutral as I followed my party to the Labyrinth.

* * *

While most of the floor had monsters on every crawling every corner (the towns and roads being the only safe zones), the Labyrinth was _the _dungeon. It was a giant maze filled with traps and monsters with the Boss Room somewhere in it, and after being defeated, every player could access the next level of Aincrad.

Obviously the toughest monsters were deeper in the Labyrinth. I could take on the monsters there with less difficulty than the average player but taking on one plus monster at a time could take time.

With a party, it was easier.

Our plan was relatively simple; I would use a sword skill to stun the monster, and then Switch with Asuna, who would use her rapier to deliver a short barrage of fast attacks. Then she would Switch with Daemon, who would use a higher-level sword skill, Hard Slash to hit a critical area and end it.

I mostly expected to be carrying the weight of the team on my shoulders, but Asuna and Daemon were fairly talented, and worked well together. They weren't on my level, but than again, I hadn't yet met anyone who was.

Asuna's speed was even faster than mine, the tip of her sword blurring as she hit the monster during her turn. And Daemon, despite being Level 9, three levels before myself, had higher-level sword skills than I did, likely a product of a lot of grinding.

We systematically worked our way through monsters for the better part of several hours. I didn't level up, but both Asuna and Daemon did, bringing both to Level 10.

Immediately after leveling up, the menu that that popped up after each monster defeat would display what stats of yours were increased and you had a certain number of points you could add to your stats.

I usually leveled up my agility and strength in equal amounts, trusting the leveling up itself to increase my HP points. I saw Asuna dump all her points into her Agility stat. Daemon frowned after he looked at his stats, then put his points into dexterity and Agility.

After two and a half hours of hunting, our trio found a Safe Corner, an area in the Labyrinth where no mobs spawned and none could enter. Asuna suggested that we stop to rest, something I was moments away from saying (demanding) the same thing.

We all collapsed on the ground. The Labyrinth setting was forest and we sat among the roots of great oaks. The artificial fatigue that was simulated by the system slowly ebbed away after several minutes of rest.

I sat slightly separate from the other two members of my party, noticing once again the slightly protective way Daemon sat by Asuna, despite the only possible threat at the moment being me. So much for trust…

Not that I exactly trusted them either…

We sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the rest. I began planning how my party would deal with the boss fight.

_-It's likely that, as a small group, we will be set on the Boss's minions, The Ruined Cobalt Sentinels. So, as a mob that would wield a mace, I would knock the weapon away with a skill…_

My thought process was interrupted as I suddenly off put by a slight difference in the air. I was not usually paranoid, so I considered ignoring my feeling. Then it got stronger.

My eyes scanned the clearing with my Searching skill. There was one less cursor in the clearing.

In a flash, my Anneal Blade was in my hand and tickling the tip of Daemons throat, who had been crouching by my side, evidently waiting for me to notice. I might have actually injured him, had his appearance not surprised me.

Not his sudden appearing behind me, but the fact his mask was off. For a moment, I was looking into an odd, age warping mirror.

The face had an older, more mature look to it, and a crooked grin hung across it, but otherwise the face that stared back at me could have belonged to an older brother of mine.

I felt a prick of cold steel at the nape of my neck. Asuna.

I felt a hot flush of anger overcome my panic. Both emotions overwhelmed my normal cold logical state of mind, blotting out any plans for escape.

_-Those traitors!_

Daemon stood up suddenly, taking advantage his new upper hand, a cold expression overcoming his features, making him look more than a little intimidating. After a moment, I realized it wasn't aimed at me.

"Hime! Don't kill him; it was my fault, not his! Sheathe your sword!"

He commanded. I heard the hard anger in his voice. Aimed at Asuna, not me. The tip of the sword receded. I was sure that, in the real world, I would have bleed from the sudden removal.

Daemon placed a hand on my shoulder placatingly. I stiffened, despite knowing now that he honestly meant me no harm.

" Sorry about that man, just wanted to know if you wanted some dinner. I know I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that. My habit of doing that has increased my Hiding skill to really high levels."

Daemon seemed really embarrassed, and I felt genuinely bad for a second for thinking bad of him. Then I remembered a certain beta tester named Cole and I hardened my heart. Just because they didn't now didn't mean they wouldn't betray me later.

I nodded, giving the impression that I forgave him.

Daemon immediately perked up, and gave me a wide smile that showed all his teeth. Considering the recent situation, I didn't think badly of myself for thinking it looked almost threatening.

"So, on that cheerful note, how does dinner sound?"

He asked.

I noted that his attitude could be considered almost bubbly. Although the word fit, it felt so strange using that word on this giant person in front of me that I decided to just go with " cheerful ".

" No thanks, I have my own food."

I said. Almost all the food here tasted the same- bleak and bland, so there was no reason to take theirs. But I had a trick…

" Actually, Kirito, we have ourselves a little trick to make the food taste better…"

Manipulating the window and still maintaining his ridiculous smile, a small ceramic jar materialized in his hand. It was Cream the same item I used on the bread here to make it taste better.

_-It appears great minds think alike…_

I suppose it was no surprise that I wasn't the only one to take that particular quest, of course it didn't mean he was better than me…

Daemon tossed me the jar and walked back over to his spot next to Asuna and sat back down, giving her a jar as well as tossing both of us a loaf of round Bread .

I sat down and decided to not tell them I used the exact same item to the exact same effect.

" Its pretty good, yeah? I got it in the town before this on the quest, The Farmers Dilemma, if you want to get some more after we part ways. Most others won't take it, cause it has a low EXP gain."

Daemon had to raise his voice for me to hear what he was saying, and I simply nodded in response to his rather gracious offer.

It took me a moment to remember I should probably thank him, as I did not usually ask for or receive help, but Asuna, who had finished her meal quickest, began to speak softly before I could even begin to say anything.

"No offense, Daemon-kun, but no one who came to that meeting came to eat good food."

She said. Now, I would usually not argue, but I was one who appreciated good food, **but **it was also not my place, so I stayed quiet.

An awkward silence reigned for a few moments.

" Hime, you need to get yourself out of this funk."

Daemon said seriously. I could feel Asuna glare at him rather than see her do it, as she had still not taken off her hood.

" This is not some stupid game, _Daemon_. It is a prison that we need to escape as soon as possible. That is the point of us being here, not to eat food!"

Her voice rose higher and more heated than I had heard her speak since the meeting. With that one outburst, she seemed to calm herself down.

I felt an inner conflict at her words. As I had said on the first day out of the beta, I felt more alive inside this game than I had in the real world. Yet, I still wanted to free myself and everyone else in this game, and also wanted to see my family once more. Which did I want more?

" You are right in a way."

The words came from my mouth almost without me realizing it, a first for me. But now, they were both looking at me, and so I let the words come out of me.

" You're right in this is not just a game. As Akihiko Kayaba said, this is now our reality. That was the whole reason of making our avatars look like our real bodies remember? So on that point you are right."

At this point Daemon took over.

" And part of reality is enjoying it. This is a bad situation, but the best thing to do is look for good luck within misfortune."

Then me again.

" Neither of us are saying that you should give up on beating the game, but it wouldn't hurt to at least relax a little bit, would it? Even the best bow-string will break if it is pulled too much, after all."

I had always liked that bow expression. It was one my aunt…or rather my mother would use.

I couldn't see any change on Asuna's face, due to her still having her hood up, but I caught Daemon's eye and he nodded and mouthed something. I understood.

' Thank You '

Daemon and I ate the rest of our bread after a quick minute, and Asuna sat still, and I hoped she was thinking on our words. Not that I cared. It just wouldn't do to have an angsty teammate. I was plenty angsty by myself.

When we were finished, Daemon stood and offered his hand to his companion, pulling her up in a gentlemanly manner.

" I think I'll stay a for a while, you go on back."

I told them. Daemon nodded, and pulled back up his mask. I noticed that when he did so, he also straightened his back and narrowed his eyes slightly. So his look was for intimidation then.

" I guess we'll meet up at the place where we gathered this morning tomorrow. See you, Kirito."

He held out his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, I took it and shook two times. The right number of times to communicate the professionalism of the gesture.

Just before they left the clearing I spoke up again without having to. Twice in one day, quite an event.

" You two…I don't need any party members dying on me tomorrow. So try not to die."

" We'll do our best. You too."

It was Asuna who responded. But right before they left the Safe Corner I heard Daemon whisper, in an amused tone-

" I like that kid. Blunt, but a good kid overall."

I didn't acknowledge the warm glow of pride that I felt. I put aside that feeling as I unsheathed my sword and exited from another direction.

Almost all other players would have returned to the towns by now so I had the field all to myself. As soon as I exited the Safe Corner a Rage Boar materialized. My sword began to glow as I activated Vertical Slash and charged the mob.

I fought long into the night.

* * *

The next morning I was walking to the meeting place once again. But this time, my mind felt thicker and heavier.

" Should have gotten to sleep sooner…"

I muttered under my breath. I had a bad habit of staying up late at night, normally staying up until midnight in reality.

The difference was now I wasn't just a little tired, but the simulated fatigue depended on the intensity of the activity, how long it continued and how much rest you got. So with how much hunting I had done the previous night and how little rest I had gotten…

" You look awful."

Daemon had appeared beside me and walked with me to the meeting place. I was too tired to be surprised.

"Yeah, well some of us had shit to do last night."

My mother had told me that I turned into a smartass when I was tired. Looks like that was true.

" I see why you like him, Daemon-kun. He's similar to you."

Asuna said, flanking my other side. I noticed that she seemed happier, a small smile on her face.

_-Looks like our talk had some effect on her._

I thought to myself. Then I noticed something else.

" What are you two wearing?"

My sharp eyes, normally always searching, only now noticed my other party members were not in their usual clothes. I stopped for a moment to examine them.

Daemon wore his cloak as a cape now and had light metal armor covering his upper body. Underneath he wore a grey shirt and gauntlets covered his arms. He wore jeans and had several potions strapped onto his waist. His black mask still covered his face. He also had a much larger sword strapped onto his back that I didn't recognize.

Compared to her companion, Asuna's changes were less prominent. Her cloak still covered most of her, but I saw she had leather gauntlets on her arms that was more popular among speed types. I had no doubt the cloak obscured the other armor she had on. Two small throwing knives hung from her belt. Hopefully she had unlocked the Throwing Knife Skill, otherwise they would be useless.

I felt almost naked in comparison. I still wore the basic pre-provided clothes the game initially gave to the new players. I had worn a brown leather half coat earlier in the game, but the durability had run out on it.

" We decided to spring for some new shtick for the boss fight using some money we saved up. We didn't know if you had any but we got these just in case-"

Asuna said. A menu appeared in front of me, showing the few items they had gotten for me. I didn't know how to respond to this kindness and instead deigned to study my new items. I noticed one item that didn't look like armor and hit the **Materialize **option.

A small brown bottle called Java Elixir appeared in my grasp. I knew what it was quick enough and downed it. I felt the fatigue disappear and stretched my arms appreciatively. The bottle burst into blue polygons and vanished a few moments later.

Thank god for virtual coffee.

" Thank you."

I said simply. I busied myself with equipping the new items as we continued to walk, my mood much increased by the coffee I had just drunk.

When we got to the meeting place, I had chainmail armor with a defense boost, gauntlets for strength and I had even gotten a metal helmet similar to a knights, but with no top allowing for my hair to fall out, with no other purpose than to look cool. It also had the effect of hiding my face similar to my companions.

We arrived at the meeting place and was glad for my new enhancements when I saw that most of the others there still had only the basic armor on. Not that I was one to preach, I had been content on fighting that way until a few minutes ago.

Our trio sat down on the exact same spot where we had met as we waited for the other members to arrive. As we sat, I wondered how much the armor had cost. We had probably raised maybe five hundred Col yesterday, but all this had to have been three times that…

Diabel had shown up fairly soon and we were all off to the Labyrinth. Our group was assigned to be Group E, a support group that took on the minions.

-_Oh, joy. _

I thought to myself. My pride and the part of me that knew I was better than everyone here demanded to be put on one of the primary attack groups.

But admitting my high level would likely reveal myself to be a Beta Player. I didn't need or want that kind of attention.

I explained my attack plan on the way to the Labyrinth to my party. Basically the same strategy as yesterday, but this time I would knock away the Sentinels weapon rather than stun them.

Of course, to get to the Boss Room, the whole Battle Squad ( as Daemon had dubbed the gathering of players ) had to go through each floor. But we had quite a few people on our side, and so we got to the Boss Room in only a half hour.

The entrance to the boss room was a set of giant doors that were fixed shut unless a player opened them. No boss could leave the room they were guarding. That part was a given of all games.

The Battle Squad stopped just outside of the doors. Diabel stood at the head of the group and planted his sword into the ground, looking out with determination at the group.

_-Idiot._

I thought condescendingly. Putting your sword like that would only lower its durability.

Two torches lit the immediate area, only for drama's sake, and it appeared that Diabel was taking advantage of that.

" I only have one thing to say to you all- let's win this!"

He announced. He drew his sword from the ground and turned from the Battle Squad to the doors.

" The Heroes stood outside the Doors of Stone, the anticipation slowly building as Diabel, the Flamboyant Knight, hesitates before pushing forward. The starting of this battle was the one that the Heroes knew would determine the rest of the their lives…"

Daemon muttered under his breath as the doors creaked open. I shot him a look and his eyes glinted back at me. I got the feeling he was grinning from under his mask.

" I can't believe you have the nerve to call someone else flamboyant."

Asuna quipped. I had to stifle a smile as we entered the enormous stone room. The battle was indeed starting.

The room suddenly lit up, the roof coming alive with a multitude of bright colors. Across the room, a giant blue dog creature, Alfang the Cobalt Lord materialized, surrounded by tall knight mobs wielding maces.

The two forces charged one another, clashing in the middle, with the spectacular sound of metal on metal.

The moment one of the Sentinels was within my view, I activated a simple sword skill and knocked the mace away from it. That moment where the mob didn't have its weapon was our opening.

" Switch!"

Then there was Asuna, sword stabbing the creature multiple times, until the breastplate covering its chest shattered. That was Daemons queue.

" Switch with me, Daemon-kun!"

The giant immediately pounced, his new sword immediately slicing through the creature, scattering it into multiple blue polygons, signaling its defeat. The process was quick due to the minions relatively low health.

No victory menu popped up. It only would once the boss itself was defeated.

This process continued for a while until finally the last Sentinel was dead. I took that moment to look over to the actual boss fight.

They were doing well. The last of the boss's HP was down to the last of its four life bars and was in the yellow. I felt relief. Perhaps beating this game wouldn't be so hard.

As if hearing my thoughts, the universe spontaneously decided to screw me over.

The boss's health dropped into the red. It drew an odachi. That was not what was in the beta.

My relief immediately morphed into panic. The Guidebook had said nothing about the boss using an odachi, and now none of the other players would know how to react.

" Move out of the way!"

_-Scratch that…_

Diabel moved to the front of the group and began charging up a sword skill. I saw a confident grin on his face. No, not confidence; arrogance. In a flash of realization, I realized what he was aiming for, and I knew he was going to fail.

" NO DIABEL! IT'S NO USE, GET OUT OF THERE!"

I yelled out. If this had been my actual voice, I had no doubt my voice would have cracked.

But the warning came too late. The boss knocked away Diabel's sword and slashed him once. Twice. Three times.

The last strike sent Diabel flying towards me. He slammed into one of the pillars near me that supported the ceiling. I ran over to him and vaguely heard two pairs of footsteps following me.

As I got closer, Diabel's health bar came into view. It was in the yellow, closing in on red quickly. I kneeled by his side, and began to hyperventilate as I opened my menu, searching for a healing item.

A potion was pushed into my hand. I thrust it into Diabel's mouth. It only bought him a few more seconds.

" We need another potion!"

I yelled. As if at a distance, I heard the battle resuming. They were losing. The sudden loss of leadership was one of the worst things that could happen in the middle of battle.

" Kirito…"

Diabel suddenly whispered. If this was real life he would likely be dramatically coughing up blood.

"I was so foolish… I was a fool to think that bastard wouldn't change anything from the beta..."

I felt a shock go through me and my eyes widened beneath the shadows my helmet created.

Diabel seemed to notice my shock and chuckled weakly.

" Yeah… I was a beta tester…"

Then he suddenly seemed to gain strength as his HP once again dipped into the red.

"Kirito, this…this is all up to you now… I let my greed get in the way of what was right but don't let these people suffer for my sins… Save them Kirito… You are the only one…who…can…save…everyone….."

The Flamboyant Knight shattered into a thousand polygons and was gone.

Something was inflamed within me. I stood up straight and tall. Daemon and Asuna were immediately by my side. No words were exchanged. We all charged.

There was no plan, no style to our attack. The boss, having knocked back most of the other players, turned towards us and roared. Daemon pulled a particularly risky move and met the boss sword-on-sword.

The force of the blow knocked him away, but the boss lost his weapon.

"Go kill that bastard!"

Daemon yelled from a distance. I barely heard him. Even though this body was only virtual, I felt adrenaline searing through my veins.

" Asuna! Weaken it, I need to charge!"

I yelled. I crouched down low and took the starting position for my strongest sword skill.

Asuna managed to hit the boss multiple times, lowering its health closer to zero. But in the process, her cloak caught on something and tore off. In that moment, I lost my concentration and was mesmerized.

I understood now why she hid her face. She was beautiful in a way most other women in the game were not. Chestnut brown hair danced around a fair face with narrowed orange eyes as she stabbed the boss once again before darting back to my side.

I felt the charge being completed and only had a moment to aim myself at the boss before I was practically dragged by my sword towards it.

"_You're going doooowwwwnnnnnn!"_

I yelled. The cry was borderline childish but I felt the Skill, Sonic Leap hit home. The Skill carried me up the length of the boss's body and my cry finally ended as the boss froze and burst.

I landed nimbly on the floor. For a moment, I was wondering why I felt so lightheaded. Then my legs gave out.

I managed to catch myself on all fours and took deep heavy breaths, the excitement of the battle giving way to fatigue. There was a sound like a trumpet and a menu opened in front of my face:

Congratulations! You got the Last Attack Bonus!

It proclaimed. I heard cheering all around me, shouts of joy. I could only stare at the screen. The Last Attack Bonus was given for defeating the boss, and was always a rare item. It was what Diabel had been aiming for when he had abandoned the plan.

The screen disappeared and I managed to get to my feet. I looked around and saw comrades hugging one another and yelling excitedly. I saw Asuna helping Daemon get up, giving him a potion.

My victory gave me feel lighter and happier than before. That feeling made me feel horrible. Diabel had died to make my victory possible.

Then I looked once more at the cheering people and for a moment I could feel the presence of Diabel the Knight, rather than Diabel the Beta, and I knew that I had actually done something right. By defeating the boss here, I helped these people, just like he would have wanted.

"Good work, man."

It was Agil. The mace-user had a cheerful smile on his face.

_-Are all tall people just somehow always cheerful?_

I wondered absently. I returned the grin to the man, something I wouldn't have done just a few minutes ago.

"I don't really deserve any thanks."

I said, slightly embarrassed. I suppose that it stemmed from never having really done anything before, and as such not having anything to be thanked for.

"Don't be so modest, man. You kicked that monsters ass!"

Asuna and Daemon were there too, Daemon still being the more outspoken one. I tried to avoid looking at Asuna directly, for the fear that I would be captivated like I had just a minute ago.

The majority of the players agreed with Daemon, clapping and cheering for me. For a moment I wished I had Daemon's high Hiding Skill, so that I could simply disappear.

"STOP CHEERING!"

The demand silenced the entire crowd of cheering victors. I focused my gaze on the person who had shouted. Even across a lot of the room, I could see that it was Kibou, the one who hated Betas.

How ironic it was. I heard that after the meeting he and Diabel had become rather close friends.

"Why did you do it? Why did you let Diabel die?"

His glare was focused with laser-like intensity on me and from across the room I could actually feel his sadness dissipating, turning to anger.

Now, as I normally did not even interact with people when they are friendly, I had no idea how to react to a sad and angry person. But in this case, I actually did not know what he was talking about.

_-Let him die? I tried to save him you ass!_

I did not voice my thoughts, but rather let my confused expression show and opted to stay silent rather until I had more information.

"I heard you,"

Kibou continued, tears streaming down his face.

"You knew that something was wrong! The Boss didn't have the weapon that the Guidebook said that it had, and you knew! Diabel didn't and he died because of that! You killed him!"

Whispers broke out among the players. The formerly supportive players now shot cold looks at me, the same look I usually faced the world with. I didn't realize how much it stung.

Only Asuna, Daemon and Agil refrained from the complete 180 change.

_-At least on the outside…_

My pessimistic side thought.

"I know why he knew! He must have been a Beta Tester! Think about it, he would have known about the boss's attacks, but he hid it from us!"

A high voiced player shouted. I couldn't place his position, but I resolved to punch him if I found out who he was. I may not like being famous, but being the villain in this tale did not appeal to me.

"And I bet he's not the only one here, either! Come on, show yourselves!"

The same guy yelled.

"Yeah! Come on out here, Betas! Diabel was a better person than you ever were!"

"Kibou was right! They only care for themselves!"

Similarly-minded players yelled. I felt the tension mounting and I realized the only reason they were not converging on me to attack was because of my-now notoriety. My skill. My power.

But I had worked hard for that right. As of this moment, I was the strongest person in the room, and they knew that. But other Betas did not have that protection.

"_You are the only one who can save everyone." _

Diabel's words came back. And I knew what he really meant. Not just the people in the room, but everyone, including the Beta Testers. I don't know if he knew I was one as well, or if he just had faith that I would understand. But I did.

And I could think of only one way to make this work. The newly awakened more righteous part of me, born from Diabel's death, protested for the pain in would cause my party, but my colder frame of mind overtook it and crushed it.

I felt the cool feeling of logic and aloofness overtake my persona again. I had to make this as convincing as I could. I lowered my head and grinned madly, making myself look as supervillain-esque as I could.

A high pitched chuckle was forced from my mouth. The chuckle itself made people turn and silenced the crowds once again, but I let it swell and tried the best I could to make it sound as cold and maniacal as possible.

Then the laugh stopped. I raised my hand and fixed the entire room with a cold stare, a darkly amused smile on my face. The trio that had defended me stepped away in surprise at my sudden turnaround.

"Hn. So you think I used to be a Beta Tester."

I said. People glared at me at the tone I used. It was the most pandering one I could muster- similar to talking to a retarded puppy.

I started walking slowly towards Kibou. At least, that is what it looked like. In reality I was aiming for the grand doors that had appeared behind him. The doors that led to the next floor of Aincrad.

"I'm hurt! Of course, I doubt that you have even seen another Beta in combat. Every single Beta I knew has remained in Starting City, too scared to leave the inns."

I stopped for a moment and shrugged my shoulders, putting a lot of arrogance into the simple gesture.

"And the reason is simple- They were so bad in the Beta that they decided to not risk it. I knew a guy so bad at the game he didn't even know how to level up. Meanwhile, I cleared not only this floor, but the second, third, fourth, all the way up to the twentieth floor."

I stood right in front of the red-eyed Kibou. We held our stare for a mere moment until I brushed past him.

"In this world, I know more than any info broker. I know more skills than the best warrior. Here, I am not just good. I am the **best."**

Though the speech was supposed to be a mask to help with my plan, every word was true.

"T-that's not possible! You can't just be a Beta! You're also a cheater!"

The same high voiced player that first spoke up shouted out now. I let an actual grin blossom on my face. Though he didn't know it, now he was doing exactly what I wanted to do. Diverting blame from all Betas to just me.

"He's worse than a Beta or a cheater! He-he's a Beater!"

Someone else yelled. I did not like that title; it had no ring to it at all.

"No, not a Beater."

I said out loud. I opened the menu and found the item I was looking for. The Last Attack bonus- Coat of Midnight .

I needed a different name, one that would not imply the Beta's association at all-one that was completely mine. On the spot the only name I could think of was something that was appropriate, but tacky.

"I am not a _Beater. _I remember one title I was quite fond of in the Beta- Death Sword."

The Coat of Midnight materialized to cover my entire body, taking the form of a black leather trench coat. As it materialized it blew dramatically without a breeze to cause it. I thought it was a nice touch.

Death Sword was a name that I had been given in the Beta for taking on a particularly hard quest and had ended up killing so many monsters I had actually jumped up two levels.

"Remember the name, all of you. You may call me Death Sword. Never associate me with the Betas again or you will make me angry. And if you do that, you will not survive to see the end of this world."

I announced. I had reached the giant doors. The giant doors surprisingly made no noise as it swung inwards. A long hall with white mist at the end greeted me. I walked down the hall, keeping my mind on activating the next floors teleport gate, and not dwelling on the semi-friends I had just abandoned.

"Wait! Death Sword!"

Oh how the universe hated me.

"What do you want, Asuna?"

I kept my voice bleak as I turned back to look at her coldly. She stared back, meeting my gaze evenly. I was slightly impressed. For a moment I didn't see anyone else, but my Searching Skill allowed me to see the vague outline of a large person just behind her. High Hiding Skill indeed…

"My name. How do you know it? You knew mine during the battle earlier."

She asked. I understood why she waited for me to get past the gates; if we had tried having this conversation thirty seconds ago, everyone in the room would have heard this trivial exchange.

"If you look right about here-"

I pointed some distance right in front of my right eye.

"-you can see two other names. Daemon's and mine."

Her eyes focused over my right shoulder.

"Ki-ri-to. Kirito…"

She whispered. Then her eyes refocused on me.

"I'm so stupid, it was there the whole time and I didn't notice it!"

She smiled at me.

"You honestly didn't notice after all this time?"

I asked incredulously. My health bar was something I constantly checked, even when in a safe zone, almost compulsively, despite knowing that it had not dropped. Seeing as our avatars name was next to the health bar, I had seen their names in my vision every time I checked my own health.

Did she really care so little for her own safety?

"I have to admit, Kirito, I am a little jealous. Great exit, impressive name… I guess that Hime and I will have to work a little harder to get our own titles."

Daemon had apparently judged it time to reveal himself. He immediately appeared behind Asuna and pulled down his mask, grinning at me. Again, it was looking into an odd mirror.

"You might want to consider keeping on your mask. We look too alike and I am now too notorious."

I told him. I had taken on the alias Death Sword so that no one would have any association to me and Daemon's resemblance to me would only cause problems.

However, Daemon's grin only widened.

"Don't worry, it is exactly because of your newfound fame that people will know exactly what you look like. Our faces look similar, but that is about it. I'll be safe."

"Just as long as you don't screw up my reputation…"

I muttered as I turned away. I walked away as quickly as I could while still trying to appear casual.

Time for my new path to begin. But I didn't know now whether I was the hero or the villain.

**So this is my first venture into SAO fanfiction and my longest ever story, despite it being only one chapter. Kirito will be more like the one from the light novel than the anime, meaning he will be a darker character. **

**Make no mistake, this is not just a few changes, I am planning to make this a completely different universe. **

**Daemon looks like Kirito for a reason, although maybe not the reason you might expect. Take a guess. Alright, you guessed it- the laws of probability. That's it. No familial relation at all. **

**Asuna will have a different attitude, due to having someone outgoing and positive like Daemon around. She will have darker moments, because I think that those moments are crucial for character development, but will likely not be as severe or tsundere as she was in the earlier parts of the anime. **

**Kirito is a difficult person for me to right. At this point, he is cold towards the world, and my I usually don't like those kinds of characters. So if he is off character at some points, tell me and I will likely change those parts. **


End file.
